


i don't know how to knit

by desdemona (LydiaOfNarnia)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, bad gifts, ft a flying Suga
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-25
Updated: 2016-11-25
Packaged: 2018-09-02 01:26:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8646277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LydiaOfNarnia/pseuds/desdemona
Summary: Yamaguchi gives Tsukishima a holiday gift. It takes a while, but Tsukishima learns to love it.





	

Tsukishima blinks down at the awful sweater in his hands -- a gaudy, blinding thing drenched in all the colors of Christmas. The knitted face of a reindeer with a bright red pom-pom for a nose peers out at him, annoyingly cheery despite the animal's lack of ability to smile. The sweater is at least a size too baggy for him, but somehow manages to be too short; one look at it, and he knows that it will barely cover his belly button. Tsukishima swallows hard, hoping that his face doesn't look like he's just swallowed a lemon -- or if it does, that it's not too different from his default expression.

"Yamaguchi," he says. "You knitted me a sweater."

His best friend bounces on the balls of his feet, nodding eagerly. "Yup!"

"Did you... make this yourself?"

"Umm..." He's quick enough to catch the flash of panic in his best friend's eyes, which gives him away as effectively as a bank robber wearing a ski mask to pose in a line up. "Yeah! Sure I did! All on my own!"

"No, you didn't." Yamaguchi's lying hasn't improved a bit since they were ten. Tsukishima's ability to read him, however, has increased exponentially. "You _can't_ knit."

His best friend deflates, like a balloon with all the air let out. It's a little pathetic, and Tsukishima feels a flash of guilt for just a second. Then his eyes flicker back to the awful sweater, and he doesn't feel as bad anymore.

"I just... I wanted to give you something special, you know? Since it's Christmas and all --"

"It's still November."

"Since it's _almost_ Christmas and all --"

"And you got your mother to knit this for you, didn't you?"

Yamaguchi looks ready to choke, eyes wide and tanned face an off-toffee color. Tsukishima is a little worried about him. "She's been practicing knitting," he says in a small voice. "She said I could tell you I made it, because I was looking so hard for a present, and for some reason the reindeer just _reminded me of you_ \--"

Tsukishima casts a glance down at the overly-cheery Rudolf, and feels a bit offended.

"And I thought you'd look so cute in a Christmas sweater, not that you have to wear it because you don't, but if you _wanted_ to --"

"I don't think it will fit." Tsukishima cuts him off with the practiced ease of someone who has been silencing Yamaguchi's rambling for years. The boy stares at him, then at the sweater, before his face slips into a mask of dejection.

"Oh," he says, and gives a soft chuckle. "Right. Sorry Tsukki, it was a dumb gift."

Tsukishima feels his stomach clench hard, as if someone is driving a knife straight into his gut. Taking in the boy in front of him, the very picture of misery, he finds himself feeling like the most ungrateful creature to ever walk the earth. Yamaguchi is so determined to _do nice things_ \-- it is almost sickening, where it isn't annoying.

Tsukishima hates it so, so much.

(Almost as much as he loves Yamaguchi for that exact reason.)

The next day he shows up to morning practice wearing a reindeer-bedecked Christmas sweater. Hinata falls into a doorframe laughing and gives himself a black eye. Tanaka knocks over a shelf, and Sugawara falls down a flight of stairs in his surprise.

"Yamaguchi," Tsukishima says, finding himself inspired, "this sweater is a scarily effective weapon."

Yamaguchi, who is expressing his concern for Sugawara by poking him with the toe of his sneaker, casts him a quizzical look.

"I... guess that means you like it?"

"I don't think I'll ever take it off," Tsukishima replies, and he means every word.


End file.
